Like a huge orange tongue that Gene Simmons of KISS would be envious of, the  protective boom was rolled out across Los Cristianos port to start a Monday morning contamination simulation excercise. A drone hovered over one of the small fishing boats in attendance as a sprinkling of sun bathers settled on the old beach just yards away.

Los Cristianos is a busy port and recent strengthening of the harbour wall showed the ongoing commitment to safety. This was still a working day, the Armas Taburiente ferry slowly glided in just beyond the port building and disgorged its foot and car passengers from the nearest of the Canary Islands. The local TV outlets gathered on the roof of the building but I settled on the terrace of the El Teatro cafe with my coffee.

As the boom spooled out to encircle a large section of the docking area, it left a large yellow cotton reel empty on the dock. The boom was pulled out into position to protect what would be a safety zone. Thankfully there was no danger involved, even the stacked boxes of crisps made it uncrunched onto the Armas ferry. OK it wasn´t exactly Thunderbirds but, practice now will help to ensure perfect arrangements in the unlikely event of a real spill.

The main operation took nearly an hour but I couldn´t help wondering how long it would take to rewind that tongue back onto the spool. It was a different way for me to spend a leisurely hour, but as a regular sea swimmer, it was reassuring to see that all was ship shape.

Take a rest Rambo, your battle is over. Make way for Marvel´s new intergalactic super heroes The Eternals, now filming, and George Clooneys post apocalyptic flick, Good Morning Midnight, due to see action in February 2020.
Stallone´s fifth instalment of the war veteran saga pitched camp in the Tenerife capital Santa Cruz earlier this year and has just hit the big screen. The Eternals have headed over to Fuerteventura and Lanzarote as Angelina Jolie and her alien friends set out to fill the void left by the demise of The Avengers. The former Tomb Raider had been spotted in filming at a London park wearing a white full length gown, topped with a cascade of long white hair. It was back to its natural look when she landed at Fuerteventura airport.

The busiest of the big screen icons will be George Clooney who is directing as well as starring in the big screen adaptation of an award winning novel by Lily Brooks – Dalton. George will be leading a rag tag band of survivors to a spaceship that will rescue them from a dying Earth. Birmingham born actress Felicity Jones will play the main female character.
This latest batch of movies follow Tenerife based blockbusters like Clash Of The Titans, and Bourne. Other worldly landscapes are the big draw for fantasy movies but the tax breaks offered by the Canarian Film Commission, and resident hi tech support companies have smoothed the way for the film industry.
The first set for The Eternals was built at Buen Paso, Puerto del Rosario in Fuerteventura. They were to have shot key scenes at Teide National Park in Tenerife but despite many concessions made for them to use the protected area, the ban on the use of drones was unmovable. Angelina endeared herself to Fuerteventura locals by coming down to earth for some supermarket shopping on the island, and even an unexploded WW2 bomb found on set did little more than delay filming. Now the lens has turned its focus on Lanzarote for the next stage of filming. Actress Salma Hayek is already under its spell and has been proclaiming her love of the island across social media.

La Palma maybe one of the smaller Canary Islands but it´s already showing why it´s known as La Isla Bonita in the new trailer for Netflix series, The Witcher, ahead of the 20th December debut. It features two weeks of Canarian shooting from March, with ex Superman Henry Cavill heading the cast at locations such as Elano de Los Bruja, and La Colmbrecita. The island peak of Roque de Los Muchachos, also grabs the spotlight in several scenes. Wonder Woman 2 has also released its first trailer, giving glimpses of the scenic delights of Fuerteventura.
It’s a tough call trying to squeeze the full splendour of the Canary Islands onto the small screen but it hasn’t stopped a trail of TV productions from heading our way. Sky Rojo is a much anticipated follow up from Alex Pina, the creator of the blockbuster Spanish crime series La Casa de Papel . Extras have been hired and stages set up at San Andres, just beyond Santa Cruz and Guimar. Netflix headed for Tenerife in mid November for filming at Santa Cruz Auditorium, and the Almaciga and Taganana beaches of Anaga for The One. Based on John Marrs best seller, it´s set in the near future when all partners are selected by DNA – but don’t expect many happy ever afters by the end of the 10 episodes. You can certainly expect many happy returns though as future dramas and adverts beat a path to our volcanic shores.

Just a few days after the UK’s Brexit Treaty Of Withdrawal was presented by Theresa May, the British Ambassador to Spain, Simon Manley addressed some 200 Brits at the Hotel Villa Cortes in Arona. General reassurance of business as usual was well received but when questions were invited from the floor, it became clear that there are still some key areas of concern that need nailing down. The 587 page treaty has to be accepted by the British and European parliaments by March 2019 to become international law, but the ambassador stressed that nothing will change before the December 2020 transition date and the best way for Brits in Spain to protect their interests is still to register with the national police as residents, and on their local authority padron.

The mayor of Arona Jose Julian Mena opened the meeting by talking about the long history of British people living in Tenerife in general, and Arona in particular, over 7,000 are currently registered on the Arona padron. He spoke of the strong partnership between the communities and his hope that those ties would not be broken. Echoing that partnership, the ambassador reminded everyone that ongoing Brexit talks are also vital to ensure that Spanish living in the UK would also keep their current rights. Common ground will be a great help in pulling together some of the outstanding threads. Another key part of the ongoing talks is a determination to allow Brits to vote in local Spanish elections as well as in their own in the UK. This is not guaranteed at the moment in the new treaty.

Eager hands were soon up for open questions, many different circumstances exist among the ex pat population and this became clear in a question about how long part time residents can stay in Spain. This is another thing that is under discussion but cannot change until at least December 2020. Healthcare is always a sensitive issue, particularly who covers costs for treatment, Newcastle for many ex pat Brits. The questioner pointed out that Spanish claiming in the UK tend to be younger and less in need than those who have moved to Spain for a better climate in their later years. The Ambassador confirmed this and said that legislation going through the UK parliament now should allow for any imbalance in funds.

There are clearly a few more hoops to be jumped through but it was good to hear that many points raised were at least already on the minds of the Ambassador,and the British Consulate team which included Charmaine Arbouin (British Consul for Andalucia and the Canary Islands). Employment fitted in that bracket. An employer at a British School in Tenerife asked if there would be problems recruiting new British staff from the UK after Brexit had been fully installed. The Ambassador said he had been asked the same from a school in Madrid, one of 100 British schools in Spain. It was another key thing to be ironed out but again was equally important to the Spanish, there are 12,000 Spanish students in the UK, so plenty of common ground to pull an agreement together. Disinformation and rumours abound over Brexit, the Ambassador and the British Consulate staff were keen to remind people to use the official websites, and social media outlets that post all updates as new information is confirmed. Try Living In Spain  or this specialist Brexit site  Then there is the British Consulate site, or the Healthcare In Spain site.

In March 2016 Brexit became official, at the end of March 2019 it will be a done deal, and after a transition period it will be legally signed as a binding treaty by the end of December 2020. That’s the time scale so it’s time for British citizens living abroad to look at how it will affect them and take steps to protect their interests. On that basis a team of British Consul staff came to Adeje on Thursday 5^th July to outline the facts to date, the road signs already in place, and sound advice on potential potholes along the way.

Charmaine Arbouin, British Consul for the Canary Islands and Andalucia, headed the meeting, aided by Helen Diaz de Arcaya Keating, British Vice Consul in Tenerife, and Lorna Geddie, Regional Consular Policy Advisor for Spain and Portugal. Round the table were 13 representatives of local media, and advice groups, ready to pass the message to as many people as possible. Charmain started by tackling the biggest expressed concern, citizens rights. We learnt that basic agreement had been reached as a priority last September. We were advised that the key to protecting our rights as ex pats is to be legal. “The NIE and Padron are both important but the main need is to be registered as extranjeros (foreign citizens), that´s the old green A4 form or the more recent card. It doesn´t have an expiry date and it doesn´t need to have the permanent status.” This was music to my ears as I still have my green A4 form ( and so does Charmaine). However it is a good idea to check if your form is still on your local councils system, paperwork here can be a little “elusive” at times.

Voting rights for the UK was another hot topic but the Consul told us. “There is a private members bill going through the UK parliament to ensure all UK citizens abroad could still vote in UK elections. “It has reached the second reading and is on course to become law next June and it wouldn´t have the 15 years away cut out anymore. Talks are going on between the UK and Spain to allow Brits here to continue voting in the local and EU elections. Again checking with your local council in Tenerife to ensure you are still on the voting list is important as they don´t all contact you automatically pre election, council elections in Spain are in spring  2019 so you need to be on the census by the end of this year”

Lorna Geddie told us that her role had been created to engage and influence the other EU member states, particularly in countries with a large UK ex pat population. She also underlined the fact that citizens rights was the number one concern mentioned by all sides in her departments discussions. “even the new Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez had raised the matter and stressed how important it was to him, during his first telephone conversation with Theresa May.”

Driving licences were also raised, Lorna said there were no changes planned and it was still the plastic card with a photo until it expired, and then change to the newer paper version. All three consul members stressed the importance of people power. Officially there are only 280,000 Brits living in Spain, if more are visible and committed to the country then they will have more influence in any proposed changes.

As always there are many ways to keep up with all the unfolding changes on the Brexit road here are some useful British Consul sources. www.gov.uk/livinginspain www.gov.uk/world/brexit or on Facebook www.facebook.com/BritsinSpain or maybe the local Tenerife office Spain.Consolate@fco.gov.uk and for healthcare issues www.healthcareinspain.eu

The British Consulate´s role is varied and the next morning there was another meet up, this time at the Arona Gran Hotel in Los Cristianos get the lowdown on the new Travel Aware campaign encouraging safe tourism. The leaflet below explains the four main areas it deals with so in keeping with the short sharp messages designed by our host, Consular Officer, Penny Gomez, I will just add a few extra points. Help is available in English in the case of reporting stolen passports, and emergency calls. The crime report you collect is not enough to get you on your flight, follow this link to see how the Consulate office in Santa Cruz can get you a quick replacement. Think of the British Consulate as a safety net for the rare times when things may go wrong.

If your aspiring to be the World’s most luxurious cruise ship, being 54,000 tons, 223 metres long, and costing 450 million dollars is just a start. Seven Seas Explorer prides itself on attention to detail and those added flamboyant touches. As the 14 decks loomed over me on Santa Cruz dockside, its lower hull was being power sprayed and roller painted to ensure it looked as good as when it was launched in Monaco barely two months ago.

Where the new addition to the Regent fleet scores biggest is on personal attention, 750 guests is a modest number for top cruisers these days but with 540 crew, service is prompt, and I soon noticed, delivered with a chatty informality rather than curt efficiency. There are no cabins on this ship, just 14 different categories of suites, all with larger balconies than their rival companies. Captain Stan de Lacombe hosted a small gathering in the 11th deck Observation Lounge with its low sloping ceiling, a central dance floor, and a highly varnished grand piano with Santa Cruz harbour wall and the open sea stretching ahead through the large wrap around windows. The French born captain referred to happy memories of his only previous visit to Tenerife 15 years ago when he hired a car and explored.

I was itching to see more of the ship, our guide led us past the Culinary Kitchen where guests can take lessons in regional cuisine, the ships excursions also include a chance to sample local specialties at each port. There were 13 different Tenerife excursions on the form I picked up, most of the guests and many of the crew had poured off the ship earlier so the large pool and Jacuzzi area was fairly quiet. On the top level they have a golf putting green , shuffleboard, and even a tennis court. For the less energetic there are plenty of rest zones or the outside terrace of the La Veranda café, even with the heavy calima hanging over the capital, Santa Cruz was looking good down below. For those taking a break from the sun, the library further down the ship offered deep luxurious leather chairs for a spot of reading. Someone had put a lot of effort into printing off and clipping together the recent days newspapers like New York Times, The Washington Post, and London’s The Times, pointers to the dominant nationalities among the guests.

Foodies have plenty of choices, Prime 7 offers an America steakhouse menu with subdued lighting, Frank Sinatra was crooning via the speakers when I popped in, and a floor to ceiling wine cabinet along one wall promised a vast choice. Art is a prominent feature all over the ship, in Prime 7 they can boast three Picasso’s. Compas Rose is the main dining area, chandeliers are another ship wide feature and here they have a sea blue wave complimented by golden sea urchin clusters. Dinner services offer another touch of class, the plates in Compass Rose are designed by Versace. Our guide dispelled any thoughts of restrictive dress codes “we are fairly informal beyond no jeans, shorts, and flip flops, jackets and ties aren’t required but many guests choose to make a big effort to match the setting of the Compass Rose”.

Here come those chandeliers again, the two floor reception lounge with it’s sweeping staircases is centered around a glittering teardrop of light and glass. Other lounges connecting the main distractions burn brightly with opulence reflected in the intricately tiled floors. With so much daytime shore leave the ship bursts into full social mode in the evening, the Constellation Theatre with lavish shows and the casino with the lure of the tables are just some of the diversions. I know your wondering how much all this costs, I couldn’t find a price guide for this part completed 11 day cruise from Lisbon to Barcelona but a future nine day voyage popped up on the net from 3,999 dollars. If you want to find out about future cruises and booking go to https://www.rssc.com/ships/seven_seas_explorer/  . Lanzarote was next stop on the schedule for this grand lady but I’m sure she will be gracing Tenerife with her stylish prescience soon.

The years passed and the miles traveled focused the memories at the British Legion remembrance service at Westhaven Bay, Costa del Silencio. Uniforms, medals, and flags reflected conflicts around the globe involving British servicemen, it’s 100 years since the outbreak of World War One but the determination to remember all those who made the ultimate sacrifice is as strong as ever.

The work of the British Legion is always relevant with many of the armed forces still active in current conflicts. The Tenerife branch are very active, the Noel Rogers trophy at the alter is a testimony to their position as the biggest fund raiser among the legion’s overseas groups. In between the hymns and prayers the several hundred gathered for the service dug deep to fill the collecting boxes.

The holiday complex setting around the pool made an informal but easily accessible venue and the views out across the sweeping bay added a glorious reminder of foreign shores that will live on in the memory. Although the act of remembrance is a solemn service there were many smiles among the tears as old comrades were remembered and newer friendships were made. The lessons of war are still being learned by a new generation so it was good to see a multi national group of under 16 rugby players from the Nandu club from Adeje in attendance, their welsh coach Jamie Whelan is himself a former serviceman. The act of commitment was read out in English and in Spanish.

The Lords Prayer, Abide With Me, and The National Anthem were all observed immaculately, as was the laying of the wreaths at the alter. The bugle call of The Last Post by Jo Cassidy hung in the air and paved the way for the two minutes silence, a time for reflection, pride, and sadness. The only sound was the gentle lap of the tide in the bay. Former marine Rick Sweeney then led a small group down to the rocks for a wreath to be placed in the water. It was a very moving service and a fitting tribute to those who fought for their country.

There are some big, bold projects on the starting grid for Tenerife, none more so than the motor racing circuit at Atogo, San Isidro in Granadilla de Abona. My early morning destination was Adeje for a press conference update on the long proposed project and the Fleetwood Mac Grand Prix music was steering around in my brain.

FIT Canarias, the factory for tourist innovation was the very impressive host, the bright white office spaces are a relatively new tenant in the CDCTA tourism development complex at El Galeon. Eduardo Pintado Mascareno, the legal councilor of commerce for the Tenerife Cabildo (government) spoke at length and with some passion about the planned track and the benefits it would bring to Tenerife. Basically it’s taken a big push to get the idea to the stage where all the layout and technical designs are ready, the Cabildo has given its blessing to the project and just the difficult subject of finance has to be conquered.

Tendering is open for the 30 million euros investment needed and we were told there is strong interest. The Cabildo has always said it would chip in with the supporting infrastructure links, the south airport is just 2.5 kms away and the TF 1 motorway passes nearby . Of course the question of Formula One racing was raised again, the councilor said that would be the dream aim but realistically they were looking at top European racing at several levels on four and two wheels. You can take an in depth ponder at the special website, it’s a long term project that will take at least two years to build once the first digging starts but with a lot of faith and imagination you can almost smell the engine oil.

Back out in Adeje I was shocked to see an old favourite missing from his post. The statue of the Guanche warrior was no longer perched on his plinth on the way into the old town. Instead it looked like one of the cages for the Christmas lottery, El Gordo, had been given a prime position. Closer inspection and the help of some information boards revealed it to be a sculpture called Sphere Solidarity by Juan Antonio Hernandez containing thousands of used plastic bottle tops. The promotion, Tapones Solidarios, aims to fill the container with the discarded poppers to help the charity Iraitza Association to recycle the tops and donate the proceeds to help people with physical or mental disabilities.

You can help Adeje to reach its target by dropping off collections of the bottle tops near the sphere. They need to have the recycling mark on them for number two or five, if Dorada bottles had such tops I’m sure I could have a go at filling it in double quick time. There was better news of the Guanche statue, he wasn’t guarding a fish pond in a councilors garden or being used as an advertising gimmick. Further down the hill I could see him partially obscured as he was being fixed into place on a large traffic roundabout. I’m sure he would approve of the cause.

Shocked, downhearted, and generally cheesed off is not my normal reaction on arriving in Santa Cruz but walking out of the main bus station two monster oil rigs were staring across at me, and they looked horrendous.

It was just two months since my last visit when two rigs were moored some way beyond the port wall but now it looked like a good turn of speed down Avenida Tres de Mayo would enable a short leap over onto the platform square on to the road that drops down past El Corte Ingles and the bus station. All this must sound alarm bells as oil companies gear up to make test drillings off Lanzarote now that the Spanish government has granted permission.

One of my reasons for popping up to the capital was to check out preparations for the 25 July anniversary of Nelson’s defeat in 1797. Over the last couple of years 12 commemorative silver plates have been posted at key points of the battle in Santa Cruz and now five more have been added around Plaza de España and along the Via Litoral. This is where the road has been sent down a specially constructed subway tunnel to allow more pedestrian access to the city centre, the 48 million euro project started in 2009 and is nearing completion.

This scheme has opened up loads more leisure space and will draw cruise liner tourists into the heart of the capital. I have been very impressed over the last decade as the tram system, three floor bus station, and the new Plaza de España lake have given the city a modern, sleek look. The views are not so impressive at the moment, the two rigs, another lurks outside the port wall, stand taller than the Cabildo headquarters, Torre de Iglesia La Concepcion, and several other historic landmarks. Coming back down from a detour to La Laguna it was a similar story as the new arrivals dominated the skyline.

There’s a big protest movement to resist the drillings and Canary Island government calls for a referendum. The vote would have no legal power but it’s hoped a show of the strength of feeling may force a change of mind from Madrid, the Balaerics succeeded in seeing off the oil prospectors in their waters. For now though visitors will have to be more creative to find camera angles that show off the beauty of Santa Cruz without unsightly intruders.

Some might call it an ill wind that has brought some good and some would say it’s a welcome wind of change but either way Avenida de Londres is the new home (at least for now) of the Los Cristianos Sunday market.
Even in the less scorching winter months the popular collection of around 600 stalls at the Los Tarajales end of the old beach could get very claustrophobic and sweaty. Rumblings of discontent from the Arona Ayuntamiento grew louder until the original market was shut down on Sunday 8 June 2014. There were so many diverse objections pitched up you could be forgiven for thinking the council just wanted it closed no matter what. The trading area had reportedly spilled out over the original boundaries, there were health and safety issues over access, and inadequate toilet facilities, so the council claimed.

After the closure many doubted it would return but a lot of hard work and lobbying by the organizers, including a demo outside the town hall, brought a swift compromise and last week (15 June) it reopened at short notice a short walk away going up the hill between the two roundabouts beside Victoria Court. So with the second week under way I nipped down for a look around, the first thing I noticed coming down the hill was an ambulance and a cluster of mobile toilets, clear signing, and wide spaces between the rows of stalls. It seems it would not just be the traders breathing easier.

For those who haven’t indulged, it’s pretty standard fare, cheap replica fashion and sports clothes, watches, electronic gadgets, hats, and more Aloe Vera than you can shake a plant at. Everybody loves a bargain, particularly in these hard times, and it’s also the thrill of the chase, elbows working overtime as some good old fashioned rummaging takes place. I expected to see bargain bins of Spain and England World Cup souvenirs, you probably couldn’t give them away now. It was so nice to be able to stroll up and down the stalls with room to perform a lavish musical number if you so wished. The breeze was very welcome and down each side there were breaks in the stalls so people could dip out at easily to grab the shade of the palm trees.

Each intersection was clearly marked, there were market officials identified by their t-shirts to offer help, and one of the nearby apartment blocks was doing a roaring trade in cold drinks and snacks. I spoke to a few friends who were working stalls and they were pleased with the new set up, some of them must have sweated pounds off at the old site. They also told me that pretty much all of the former stall holders had got themselves a new pitch.

The only cloud on the horizon is the uncertainty, they have a provisional agreement for 6 months but there is still talk of returning to base camp or being closed again. With less than a year to go until the local elections, councilors are trying to be all things to all people, and will be keen to please the various nationalities working the stalls and also keep local bars and restaurants happy with their big boom day of the week. For now though it looks like an improvement to an outsider like me, you can check it out for yourself from 9 am to 2 pm every week.

I nearly didn’t go to the Three Kings parade in Los Cristianos – well it’s always the same – isn’t it? They caught a lot of people out this Reyes Eve by changing things around, call me an old stick in the mud but I thought the early part was chaotic, I don’t like change, I’m still reeling at having seen two currency changes in my lifetime.

It was past the advertised start time of 7pm, but that’s expected, and people were milling about looking for a sign from the east – or anywhere really. Normally the parade starts from the ferry terminal but this time the ringing of a ships bell and bright lights heralded the arrival of a small ferry boat by the old fishermens quay. The Arona brass band was assembled beyond the guarded gates and the Kings had arrived off the ferry but there was no sign of camels or the other cartoon characters, jugglers, etc. A path was cleared along the quay as crowds flocked over across the old beach and the band led the kings and their servants on foot down and around to the Plaza del Pescadora.

The plus was the children could get up close to their heroes but the down side was many couldn’t see over taller people in front of them. Taking the passageway up at the back of the small plaza the master plan was revealed, the camels were parked up just below The Devon Arms and their many magical friends were dressed up and waiting. I didn’t see the kings at first and assumed they had popped in for a Guinness but they soon appeared and saddled up. It’s a tight area and those camels were parked bottoms outwards so everyone was trying to avoid any extra gifts not mentioned in the old tales. It was good to see the hairy beasts and I can’t remember when I have seen so many camel toes. I was shocked to see among the cartoon characters a large Pio – but I bit my tongue and resisted the football chant reserved for this Las Palmas mascot.

At the top of the steep slope the jolly parade turned up and into Avenida Suecia, back on the old original route, that was more like it, the Kings and their fellow paraders began throwing handfuls of sweets out to the crowds packing the pavement and people were able to see their royal visitors in their elevated position perched up on the camels. Along and past the gloriously lit church plaza, which had hosted bouncy castles and games earlier – they still think I’m too old for a bounce.

The final stop was outside the cultural centre where the thrones were awaiting the royal bottoms and the children were awaiting their presents. As the paraders arrived I tried to get the Pio to pose with me for an Armada Sur caption competition but it was whisked away to the changing rooms along with Dora the Explorer, Sponge Bob, Tom and Jerry, and Snow White and her Seven Dwarfs, it must have been quite a clash of egos in there. The big day Reyes (6 Jan) will be a quieter day for families to enjoy, hope everyone gets those special presents they really wanted.